Non-refillable bottle



'(No Model.)

G. E. SMITH.

NoN-REFILLABLB BOTTLE. No. 592,576. PatentedOot. 26,1897.

NiTn STATES PATENT rrrcn,

NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,576, dated October 26, 1897. Application filed November 13, `1.896. Serial No. 611,966. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom 15 may concern: a

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. SMITH, of Boston, county of Suolk', and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Non-Refillable Bottles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

The present invention relates to a non-refill-able bottle and is embodied in abottle having an antireiilling device comprising a plug or stopper which contains controlling devices adapted to prevent liquid from entering the bottle, but to allow the contents to flow out of the bottle, the stopper being complete in itself and capable of being applied to any bottle of suitable shape, but not removable therefrom after it is placed in position without destroying the bottle.

The stopper or controlling device embodying the invention consists of a substantially tubular plug adapted to be inserted in the neck of the bottle, the said plug being provided near the top and bottom thereof with shoulders adapted to support annular packing-rings of yielding material, such as cork, surrounding the outside of the plug and interposed between the same and the inner Wall of the neck of the bottle, which is tapered above and below, this being an important feature of the invention. The plug is thus supported without the use of cement and is easily inserted, it being practically impossible, however, to remove it without destroying the bottle, although it can be removed without injury to itself after the bot-tle has been used by breaking the neck of the bottle, the yielding packing-rings serving to protect the plug itself from injury, so that the same plug can be used again with another bottle. The said plug is provided at its lower end with an inlet communicating with the interior of the bottle, said inlet being controlled by a valve cooperating with the valve-seat on the upper side of said inlet and having a guide-stem extending through the said inlet to guide the valve to and from its seat. Above the said vvalve the tubular plug is shown as divided into two chambers by means of a Wall or partition extending across the same, the said chambers having lateral openings communicating with the annular space between said upper chamber having outlets leading to V the exterior of the bottle, said outlets being `preferably arranged to open laterally, the top of the chamber being closed. The openings which lead from the annular space around the tubular plug to the said upper chamber are shown as controlled by a valve comprising a tubular slide, the exterior of which fits the interior Wall of said upper chamber, the openings in which are so arranged that when said slide is in its normal position-viz., resting upon the upper surface of lthe dividingwall-it will close the lateral openings to the upper chamber and prevent fluid introduced in said chamber from iiowing into the annular space around the plug.

The drawing is a vertical section of a bottle with the non-refilling device embodying the present invention applied thereto, the main controlling-valve being shown in elevation.

The stopper or controlling device embody-- ing the invention consists of 4a tubular plug having a suitable controlling valve and adapted to be inserted in the neck of the bottle O, which is tapered above and below and wholly supported by means of the annular packing-rings A2 and B2, which are of yielding material, preferably cork, adapted to surround the said plug and lie in engagement with the shoulders A3 and B3 at or near the top and bottom thereof, so as to be interposed between the said shoulders and the tapered Walls of the bot-tle and thereby support the plug and at the same time form a closed annular space surrounding the same. The said plug contains lower and upper chambers a and b, separated from each other bya Wall or partition c, and is shown as made of two members A and B, while the partition c is shown as consisting of cork or similar material, which serves to secure the two members A IOO and B together, as well as toseparate the chambers, one of which is shown as formed in each member.

The chamber ct, or lower chamber,l is provided with an inlet-passage d2, communicat-- ing with the interior of the bottle, the said 'passage being controlled by a valve a3, hav"- ing a feathered guide-stem c4 longitudinally movable in the inlet-passage a2, the valve preferably having a beveled valve portion cooperating with a correspondingly beveled valve-seat formed inthe interior of the chamber a.. The said valve@3 is normally seated by gravity to close the inlet to the chamber a and prevent liquid in said chamber from entering the bottle, it being obvious, how= ever, that when the bottle is tipped up the said valve will leave it-s seat and allow liquid within the bottle to enter the-chamber a. The said chamber a is provided with one or more outlet e passages a5, herein shown asv openings through the side Walls thereof, com= municating with the annular space between the main portion of the plug A B and the neck C of the bottle to which the device is appliedi In order that the'liquid which has passed through the chamber a into the annular space aroufnd the plug may iiow out of the bottle, the chamber b is provided with one or more inlet=openings b2 and outlet-openings b3, the inlet-4 openings rbeing controlled bly a norwally-'closed valve, herein shown asa tubular slide Z920, normally supported upon the parti= tion c, in which position, as shown, the said slide fits over the openings b2, thus 'cutting off communication between the chamber b and thev annular space around-,the stopper. Whenv the bottle is tipped up, therefore, so that the valve a3 becomes unseated and per;

Y y mits the vliquid to flow through the chamber a to the annular space around the plug, itis obvious that the valve 1920 will also move from its seat, uncovering the openings b2, so that the liquid can iiow into the chamber b and thence through the outlets bito the exterior offthe bottle.

The outlets o3 are shown as' arranged to open laterally, the'upper end of the tubular' plug or top of the chamber b being closed, so that the valve 62 is inaccessible and cannot be'opened while the bottle is in `its upright position,

In applying' the plug to a bottle the mein; ber A, having the 'packingring A2 placed in position thereon, vis inserted into the neck of the bottle, which is contracted above and be low, the opening at the top being of rsufch'silze as to easily admit said member A, the said opening, in other Words, being at least equal i'n size 'to the opening below and preferably somewhat larger, as shown. Th'esaid memL ber A is then forced downward until the packing=ring becomes seated on the tapering 'wall `of the neck above the lower contracted 'openL ing therein, and the upper member B,with the separatingewall c inserted therein and supported by theshoulders c2, isthen forced into the neck; of the bottle untilvthe projecting portion of the Wall c enters the mouth of the chamber u, the said parts being adapted to vorv porcelain, the annular valve-seat in the neinber A being preferably ground, and the valve itself is also ground, so 'that the two parts make a perfect non-leaking fit, while both the valve=seat and thevalve itself are entirely independent of the bottle itself.

It is practically impossible to remove the plug or stopper after it has been rforced into position without breaking the bottle, and as the lplug' may be made much stronger .than the bottle it is obvious that any attempt to destroy the plug will result in the destruction of the bottle, so thatthe proprietor of the bottled article is amply protected against fraud. If, however, the bottle after its contents have been used is returned to the proprietor, it is obvious that the plug may be removed without injury to itself .by breaking the neck of the bottle, since the said plug is wholly out of contact therewith and protected from injury by the yielding packing-rings, and the plug may then be inserted in 'a new bottle to be used. again. p

It is manifestly impossible to refill the bot tlewhile the plug is in place, since any at;

ltempt to picl'r'the valves i's frustrated by the zigzag' path afforded by the lateral outlets, it being obvious that even if one sncceeded in opening the upper valve the lower valve would still be inaccessible. Further- ,more, if thebottle is held in a position to open the valves and the attempt made to force liquid in under pressure it is obvious that the relation of the opening a5 to the valve d3 is such thatli'qui-d entering said opening under pressure will at once seat the said valve and close the opening to the interior of the bottle.

The said valve is shown as havin-g a con tracted neck below the valve proper, the diameter of which is' less than that of the opening, so that the upper surfaces of the featherguides extend beyond said neck, the said up'- per surfaces being so arranged with relation tothe mouth of the opening as not to rise substantially above the saine when the valve is wholly open, it being obvious, therefore, that any liquid entering the chamber and seeking to escape through the opening a2 will exert a pressure upon the upper surfaces of the feathers, tending to close the valve, the closure being at once completed by the pressure upon the outside 'of the valve itself as it approaches its seat.

1. In a n'on-rellable bottle, the combina IOO IIO

tion with the neck of the bottle, of a tubular plug inserted in said neck and secured near its ends by packingrings, whereby a closed annular space is provided between said plug and the neck of the bottle, a chamber in the lower portion of said plug provided with an inlet communicating with the interior of the bottle, a valve controlling said inlet, an out let from said chamber communicating with the annular space around the plug, a second chamber within the plug provided with lateral inlets from said annular space, a valve controlling said inlets, and an outlet from said outer chamber, substantially as described.

2. A device for preventing the relillin g of bottles, consisting of a tubular plug containing lower and upper chambers separated from each other, packing-rings around said plug near the ends thereof to support-the same in the neck of the bottle, and to provide a closed annular space around said plug, a vertical inlet to the lower chamber at the bottom thereof provided with an annular beveled valve-seat, a valve having an annular beveled face cooperating with said seat and having a feathered guide-stem extending downward through saidopening, a lateral outlet from said lower chamber, a lateral inlet for the upper chamber, a valve controlling said lateral inlet consisting of a tubular slide longitudinally movable in said chamber, and lateral outlets from said upper chamber, substantially as described.

3. In a non-reillable bottle, a plug or stopper made of two substantially tubular members, a wall or partition of yielding material interposed between said parts and adapted to enter both, an inlet-opening at the lower end of the lower part, a Valve-seat formed at the upper side of said opening, a valve cooperating with said seat, a lateral opening in said lower member, a lateral opening in the upper member, and packing-rings surrounding said parts respectively, whereby a closed annular space is provided within the neck of the bottle, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the bottle having a neck contracted near the top and bottom, of a plug or stopper provided with external shoulders near the ends thereof, packingrings of yielding material surrounding said plug and interposed between said shoulders and the tapered inner walls of the said neck whereby said plug is supported and a closed annular space is aorded around the outside thereof, a chamber within said plug closed at the top, a tubularinlet-opening to said chamber, a valve-seat at the mouth of said inlet, a valve coperating with said seat, a stein for said valve having a contracted neck, feathers below said neck extending toward the wall of the opening to guide the valve, lateral openings froxn said chamber communicating with the annular space around the same, and suitable outlets from said annular space, substantially as described.

5. r-lhe combination with the bottle having a neck contracted near the top and bottom thereof, the opening at the top being equal to or greater than that at the bottom; of a tubular plug inserted in said neck and provided near its ends with external shoulders; packing-rings of yielding material surrounding the said plug and interposed between said shoulders and the tapered walls of said neck, whereby said plug is wholly supported within said neck, and a closed annularspace formed around the same; a chamber in the lower portion of said plug provided with an inlet communicating with the interior of the bottle; a valve controlling said inlet; outlets from said chamber communicating with the closed annular space aforesaid; and an outlet from said annular space through the upper portion of the plug, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. SMITH.

Witnesses H. J. LIvnRMonn, N. P. FORD. 

